None of your damn business

Artist Daryl Cagle reports that he is getting a stronger response to this cartoon from newspaper editors than he can ever remember getting, with conservatives writing in disgust (saying he was “over the line” by drawing Palin’s daughter Bristol) and liberals cheering him on. In his defense, Cagle says that the cartoon is not about the daughter, it is about Palin’s opposition to birth control and sex education in schools.

What I personally find ironic is that it was Sarah Palin herself her announced that her daughter was pregnant. She did this to dispel speculation that her son Trig was actually Bristol’s son. Wouldn’t it have been much simpler to just produce some medical documentation that Trig is indeed her son? If Palin really feels that her daughter’s pregnancy is a personal matter, why did she drag her daughter into the conversation? She should have said “it’s none of your damn business” from day one.

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This was written by Iron Knee. Posted on Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 12:06 am. Filed under Humor, Popular. Tagged Palin. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

43 Comments

It’s not ironic that she announced her daughter is 5 months pregnant. It’s the perfect cover. It means she could not have been the mother of the 4 month old, Trig. I wouldn’t be surprised if the second kid was born “premature” and they were both the daughters.

If you’re going to run on a platform of abstinence only sex education, why would you choose for vice president proof that you are wrong? It’s like John Oliver said on the daily show a few weeks back, “to undermine one’s own point so viscerally…”

Really, I mean c’mon. This one is a little below the belt. I’m not a republican, so I’m not defending her. But his poor little girl is not a political tool. Being 17 and pregnant has to be one of the hardest things a teenager can go through in America. All you are doing is making it harder on her. There are plenty of talking points and other issues. This one is not off limits because of Palin, it’s off limits because the daughter is an innocent bystander and you are making it much harder on her.

Wow, this is a new low. Chelsea Clinton was never dragged into the political debate. This girl is 17 years old, leave her alone.

As for Palin’s support for abstinence only education, that is in public schools. What parents teach their children on their own is their business. Treating Bristol getting pregnant and keeping the child as some kind of moral or motherhood failure on Sarah Palin’s part is ridiculous and sexist. This wouldn’t even be an issue if it happened to a male candidate.

Why don’t you make a cartoon about the fact that Joe Biden’s 38 year old son Hunter Biden was working for a hedge fund as a lobbyist?

Maybe you could make a cartoon about the fact that Hunter Biden is being brought up on felony fraud charges in relation to his ‘work’ with that hedge fund?

Perhaps only the democratic candidates kids are off limits this campaign year.

@BENNIG (#9): You are totally wrong on this. If politicians support surveillance, they need to be surveilled to show them what it’s like. If politicians support the government interfering in your family’s business, they need to have the public interfere in theirs to show them what it is like.

Unless that happens, it’s all intellectual chit-chat. Actions speak louder than words and change minds. Talk is far less effective. I feel bad for her daughter, but not because of the public scrutiny. I feel bad for her that her mother has *made* her an issue by her policies. The public should not walk away from that scrutiny until Palin realizes that this is what it’s like to have interference in your family like her policies.

Sorry, although I support sex education in schools, I think that the 2 statements in the cartoon *are* consistent. The daughter’s pregancy is a private matter. Saying that sex education should be taught in the home, not by the government, is also keeping it in the private realm.
Now, had Governor Palin’s cartoon voice been talking about criminalizing abortion or homosexual behavior, THAT would have been hypocritical.

First, if the Palin family had not come out and told everyone the girl was pregnant this never would have been an issue, unless the rumors about the national enquireer are true. In any case, preempting that rag was Sarah Palin dragging her own child into politics. And since she’s the one who’s really using the kid as a political tool, she is hypocritical for criticising others.

The part being lost is that abstinence only education, whether in the home or in public school, is not effective in preventing teen pregnancy and therefore should not be relied on for national policy. The fact that Sarah Palin can’t figure this out even when it’s sitting accross the dinner table reflects very poor judgment on her part.

It doesn’t matter if the National Enquirer was about to print that Bristol was pregnant. The appropriate response would have been “that’s none of your businesses”. But by coming out and saying that your daughter is pregnant, you make it part of the public discourse.

I don’t believe this is a partisan thing. Cheney’s daughter is gay, even though the Bush administration (including Cheney) is for a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. But the media has (mostly) left Cheney’s daughter alone.

Richard wrote, “Funny that this is perfectly acceptable, but dressing up Obama in a Muslim garment is ‘not to be tolerated.'”

That’s not funny at all. Dressing up Obama in a Muslim garment is lying. Saying that Sarah Palin is confronting the consequences of her own views on failure-based sex education, and her own decision to inject her daughter into the political debate, is not lying.

So let’s make another attempt at parsing your claim.

“Funny that telling the truth about Sarah Palin is perfectly acceptable, while lying about Obama is ‘not to be tolerated.'”

Nice. I suppose if Sarah advocated sex ed, this same cartoon would have been run with Sarah saying “More Sex Ed in the schools. Condoms for all.” Those programs have all been such a success.
Please keep trying to destroy this admirable woman with these cheap personal attacks. It will backfire.

If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts we’d all have a wonderful Christmas. Perhaps if she was giving out condoms for all, she wouldn’t be in this predicament, and also perhaps if her daughter and that dude had sex education classes, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. You fail at reasoning.

Palin hauled Bristol’s condition into the national spotlight because Palin wanted to “prove” she was the mother of Trig instead of Bristol. Palin is the one that made it a public issue, not bloggers, not the liberal media, not the Obama camp. All Palin had to do in order to pacify everyone was produce medical records proving Trig is hers and left the very private condition of her minor child out of the debate entirely. That’s pretty damn low-down dirty political basement pool to use your own daughter as a deflection, especially when it proves absolutely nothing… What evidence was produced to prove that the young Palin is truly 5 months pregnant and not actually Trig’s mother? None… Who is to say that Bristol won’t suffer a convenient “spontaneous” abortion from all the stress shes under now? Who is to say she didn’t pop out Trig and get her mack on with Levi within weeks of the birth? Where is the proof of the who what when and where? We’re supposed to just take their word for everything, but shut up anyway becuse its supposed to be a private matter? Give me a break… Using her daughter as a human political shield just raises MORE questions… A $100 DNA test could have nipped this in the bud without having to pull her daughter into thia circus… It tells me that This Palin woman is poison, a christian conservative nutjob, and a TERRIBLE mother for subjecting her daughter to this madnes… If adding Palin to the ticket actually works for McCain, then America truly is retarded beyond hope of salvation, its truly the end of the American empire and its people deserve whatever fate they’ve got coming to them… I can only hope the retard vote in the USA has as little negative fallout on the rest of the world as possible.

I’m surprised at you people. Didn’t you see this as a political ploy? Sorry, should have said “induhviduals”. Request an actual document from the powers that be? Have you even tried to use the Freedom of Information Act? Everything is now controlled by the DHS because we, as a Nation no longer have a right to know anything that pertains to our servitude, governance, whatever you wish to call it.

Do people not understand what hypocrisy is anymore? It’s espousing one thing publicly and then being found to practice a different ideology away from the public’s eyes. I don’t understand why Gov. Palin is being accused of hypocrisy just because she’s a social conservative. Just because she hasn’t had her daughter sent away to a Swiss boarding school doesn’t mean she’s condoning her daughter’s actions and giving her a high-five for getting knocked up. Now if we were to find out the family had the baby quietly aborted to avoid a media mess that would be an excellent example of hypocrisy, a disparity between what she preaches and practices. I for one actually like Obama for a number of reasons, which is something I’ve never been able to say about the big wigs in the Democratic party. But his party is dragging him down on this one by trying to make a 17-year old girl the showcase of their criticism of his opponent’s VP pick. McCain’s got enough weaknesses that should be focusing on, and they are making a huge strategic mistake here. What they don’t realize is that independent voters are actually interested in change, and McCain’s unorthodox VP pick actually underscores his commitment to it, while Obama’s shows a huge commitment to the status quo of the Democratic party. Get back to your message of change and do so with more than just words or you are going to lose.

Well, this is just more proof that you can’t ever trust a woman to do a man’s job. What was McCain thinking? Sara has a slut daughter and a retarded kid, and she wants to be Vice-President? Get a clue people, don’t ever hire women.
McCain’s old and this woman (or any other woman)could never do a good job as President. Have to vote for Obama now.

Why shouldn’t Sarah Palin’s daughter be a object of public scrutiny? After all, Palin would love to see the government meddling in every American’s most intimate choices: who to have sex with and when to have children. If Palin wants Morality Police seizing condoms and incarcerating women who want abortions, I think she has lost the right to say “Mind your own business.” Reproductive Freedom is all about keeping government (and all other prying eyes) out of the bedroom.

Palin is marred to the oil business. (read her Husband)
Hates the environment if it interferes with big business. (read Polar Bears and oil drilling)
Seems to be an idiot about child birth (read http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/4628/sarahpalinla4.png)
She is Pro-Life. (read inflexible about personal rights)

Why the hell would I vote for that. And, I didn’t even mention her 17 year old daughters problems.

I think it’s obvious that sex education in the home is an effective deterrent to teen pregnancy.

Palin made it political when she announced the pregnancy. And if you don’t think they’re talking about Bristol’s impending marriage to the boy in question as a means of soft pedaling the whole thing, you’re crazy.

I like how they assume that because she’s pregnant at 17 that she’s going to get married at 17 to that boy. What is this, 1920? If I were Bristol I’d be a little pissed off at the moment. Thanks mom for taking your career public and dragging your daughters pregnancy into the political spotlight.

@Paul: Doesn’t the fact that Palin’s brand of “sex education” didn’t work in her own family belie to her policy of forcing it on everyone else’s kids? As long as Palin thinks she knows what’s best for other people’s kids, her own kids are fair game in the election. Stop whining.

So I looked at the cartoon and chuckled. Then I read all the comments and realized that I never should have had faith in the American people. This is sad. As a seventeen year old, I’m disgusted with how things are in the political world (and in the media, and hell, I’ll just say America).

I mean honestly, everything makes sense if you think about it for a little bit instead of jumping the gun and deciding upon an opinion no matter what.

Palin publicly announced her daughter’s pregnancy. She extended an understood invitation to the media and the public (as in, she didn’t openly say anything to that effect, but it was intended). That’s it. End of story. It’s not a private matter when everything is publicly disclosed. It’s as simple as that. So shut up about it.

Abstinence only sex education is one of the most retarded concepts ever. It’s as stupid as the No Child Left Behind Act and the war on drugs that we’ve been losing for over 20 years. Trust me, I think I’m closer to the truth than most of you adults here. That’s just how it goes. Believe me. Abstinence only sex education will not, and I repeat, will NOT help out America’s growing teen pregnancy rates. It won’t. I mean, really, abstinence only sex education isn’t even sex education if think about it (Oh my gosh! I said THINK!).

Neither McCain/Palin, nor Obama/Biden are proving to be what we need. If we want another 4 years of the Bush administration, then McCain is the choice. If we want to have inexperience in the office, then Obama is perfect (although he does have charisma going for him, which is very, very important when dealing with oh, say, foreign leaders who are pissed at America anyways).

Stick to the issues and pick the better team. Don’t get all of your information from one resource (especially FOX!). Stop screwing up MY future.

thanks for helping to turn this democrat, unhappy with his party’s cadidate, to think very strongly about voting for the republican candidate.
the vitriol against Palin is way out of bounds.
folks with any sense of decency are NOT happy.
get a clue.

it is our damn business if she wants to parade her pregnant daughter around like a show horse. second, sex ed does need to be properly taught in our schools. now let me ask, have you ever had a conversation with your parents regarding sex. I bet most said no, or nothing serious that would have help stop STDs or unwanted pregnancy. plus, a sex conversation with your parents has to be one of the most awkward things ever for a teenager.

I think Palin’s lack of experience is a bigger issue. But she has brought the focus on her personal life as the issue. The fact that she keeps extolling herself as a hockey mom means nothing on the international and national stage. When she decides on funding for NASA will knowing how to play the trap work? She made her mommy skills the focal point – skills which aren’t all that great apparently. The fact that she has voted against funding for teem moms is outrageous. Her daughter will be fine because a Governor pulls in a good paycheck. Most teen moms don’t have the luxury of driving to their doctor’s appointments (paid by mom) in a luxury car (paid for by mom.) How is this understanding of the average person. She is just another wealthy republican with no clue – she’s just less rich than average.

Re: this small issue; I feel sorry for the daughter because her mother has not done everything she could have to shield her from the public eye.
Re: the big issue; THE ELECTION; what is wrong with it is that billions of people all over the world who have no say at all in the US election will be directly affected by the result.
Some history of last 8 years[from outside US]: Bush gets elected. 9/11 happens. Can’t find anyone to punish for it. Oh well, let’s punish the Iraqis [hang on weren’t most of the 9/11 terrorists Saudis???]for their WMDs [weapons of mass disappearance.] Over 100 000 deaths later and Bush is proven right; Iraq is full of terrorists, but hang on, they only arrived there in the chaos after the US invaded!!!!
That invasion alone has magnified the tragedy of 9/11 at least twenty-fold in terms of deaths. If Bush wasn’t the US president he’d be quite justifiably labeled a mass-murderer. And yet many Republicans are quite comfortable with this?!?!?! There must be some pretty evil people behind Bush in the Republican party, and those same people are backing McCain now.
How in hell did you Americans ever vote in such a [dangerous]DICKHEAD, and TWICE??????!!!!!?????
Voting Americans, please go out and use your right wisely, vote not just for the future of your country but the whole world, most of whom are suffering, if you hadn’t noticed. Prove to the rest of the world that you dont leave your brains behind when you head to the polling booth.

I think sex Education in schools should be mandatory. The idea that if one doesn’t talk about sex in school that it wont happen later on is bull shit. Kids need to be taught how to be responsbile because fuck ups like Palin’s daughter wont end up being knocked UP. And by the way if Sarah Palin would talk to her daughter more about safe sex instead of “abstinance” than MAYBE her daughter wont be carrying around an 8 pound gut.

I will grant you that, in a perfect world, sex education should be taught in the home. However, we do not live in a perfect world. Schools need to fill the void so many parents leave and teach factual sex education. Males reach their sexual peak at 17. Do you honestly expect abstinence to work with all those raging hormones in play?

I understand what the artist was trying to say with this cartoon and it is no way a shot at Bristol Palin. Teenagers are going to have sex (it is in the genetic make up of humans), it was not her fault that her mother failed to give her a proper education.

This cartoon is a shot at Sarah Palin on a couple of counts. First off she wanted it to be a private matter. Ok fine you want to be Vice President it is perfectly understandable that you would like your children out of the spot light. That still begs the question why tell the media about it in the first place?

Secondly this is also about her stand on abstinence only education, something she feels that will prevent teen pregnancy. What people find amusing is how ironic the situation is. A person who feels that abstinence is the way to go until marriage ends up with a unmarried pregnant 17 year old daughter.

This underlies a bigger issue, teen pregnancy. Parents and teachers are afraid to talk to their teenagers/students about sex, which leaves teenagers nowhere to go with questions that need honest responses, not the hokey wait until your married. Teenagers are smarter than you give them credit for. But how do we expect them to act responsibly if we don’t give them all the facts.

I take my own experience, my mom was a young mom with my older sister and I (She was 19 and 20 respectively). Her desire was to see that we did not follow the same path. Her solution..talked to us about sex, let us know that if we had any questions come to her, if we were ready to come see her she’d put us on birth control. I credit my mom with the fact that I”m 26 years old and have never been pregnant because I had the tools and knowledge to know how to protect myself. My sister had a baby at the age of 27 but she’s married and her and her husband were ready for a baby.

I know that we will always have pregnant teenagers. We can’t reach them all. I feel that we can cut that number down if we give them the information to practice safe sex. And yes I believe that an all around sex education should include abstinence because if you don’t feel ready to have sex don’t.

I don’t think it’s about hypocrisy in the way that she failed to teach her daughter at home, but in that how can one advocate an ideology that even the advocate knows does not work in his or her own home and then try to keep it hidden, if it doesn’t work in your home and you’re supposed to be an example, then what would make you think it would work elsewhere?